Fine, Fine Line
by llamachan
Summary: Set near the end of episode 26, this chronicles what might have happened if the final battle had gone horribly wrong. Dual authored.
1. Jin

_The chances of your surviving it are very small. If possible, please don't ever use this technique._

The words echoed through my head with renewed energy, ringing clear as when I first heard them. Kariya proved too strong for me to defeat on skill alone; I was lucky to have survived our previous battle. I could only do one thing: I lowered my guard. The assassin attacked.

_There is an opening. Take it._

My sword sliced through the air, through layers of clothing, through flesh, against bone— through _him_. The blow had hit its mark; I sensed my attacker's grip loosening on his sword. I pulled the sword from his body. Kariya fell.

_He is dead._

My thoughts and feelings came rushing back as the assassin fell to the ground—sharp feelings. His sword had cut me deeper than I first realized. This was the cost of my victory. I felt my knees grow weak as my vision blurred. In the back of my mouth I noticed a metallic taste growing stronger. Blood.

_The samurai is always ready to die._

I fell to the ground, my legs unable to carry my weight. My senses dulled, but my mind remained sharp. I could see vividly the events that had passed bringing me to this cliff.. To Nagasaki. To Mugen and Fuu. Away from that place. The past three years of my life have left me wandering aimless. Masterless. Pointless.

_There is no master worth risking your life for. My sword was nothing but a sword for myself._

I did what was necessary. The dojo was to be turned into a breeding ground for war. I could never have watched the school lose its soul. _Enshirou Sensei _lost his spirit. This country has lost its Way.

_In all things, strive for the Way._

I shouldn't be ashamed of what happened. I served what was right. Even though that meant cutting down my own master, my conscience is clear. There is no dishonor in this.

But then what is the duty of a masterless warrior? To serve the country that lost his faith? To protect only one's own interest? Neither of these paths constitute honorable actions. If I learned one thing from this journey, it is that loyalty is not commanded, but earned by those most deserving of it.

_I think I found my first friends._

I could hear the waves crashing against the rocks beneath the cliff, washing back toward the open sea. The horizon faded in my view. I had traveled for so long, but I had found something to serve. I had done my duty.

_Samurai._

I smiled.


	2. Fuu

I remember watching him fall.

But he had to be okay, right? It's Jin, for crying out loud. He's always okay. Maybe he was a little injured, but I could take care of that, no problem. I had already taken care of all of our injuries over the journey, so this one wasn't going to be anything new.

When I was sure that…that –man- was dead; I rushed to his side.

"Jin?" I whispered, gently pushing at his shoulder. "Jin, it's Fuu."

No response. I shook a little bit harder.

"Jin, wake up!"

Nothing.

That's when I noticed that his eyes were open, but didn't seem focused on anything; just staring off into space.

I placed my fingers on his neck, looking for a pulse, just a hint that he was alive and just playing a really nasty trick on me. Maybe something that he picked up from Mugen; just to get me angry, that jerk.

Nothing.

Glassy stare. No pulse.

Oh…god…no.

No, it can't be! Not him, not now! He just saved my life! I started to choke, unable to let the tears fall yet. No, not him. He was supposed to stay alive! Any moment, he'd start moving and be angry that I automatically thought the worst. He always said that I needed to calm down more, and…

I couldn't help it; I started to sob uncontrollably. Even more than when Mama died. His bloodied, broken body was before me, completely unresponsive and slowly growing cold. I didn't want it to come true.

"WAKE UP, YOU JERK!" I screamed, pounding my fist on his chest. "Don't die on me! Not after all we've gone through! Not now! Not—" I was unable to finish the sentence, which was already punctuated by my cries.

And that's when I heard the explosion. It only had to come from one place.

No, not him.

"MUGEN!" I yelled, even though I knew it was futile.

Not Mugen, too. Not both of them! Did they both die saving my life? So that I could complete the journey?

How could I live with myself, knowing that I was indirectly responsible for their deaths? I told them not to come with me to the island, but instead…

We had just finished a journey together, and even though we had a lot of problems getting to Nagasaki, we made it. There were times when I thought that we'd never get there, and there was a little piece of me that hoped that we'd have to keep traveling to find my father. Thinking of both of them leaving me seemed unbearable. Even after Mama died, I had my work at the teahouse, and my bosses looked after me. Now…this was going to be the first time in my life where I was truly and utterly alone.

_Stupid girl_, I thought. _Stupid, selfish girl. _ _Always relying on others to get her work done._ That's why I told them not to come with me. Why I left them on the docks.

_Why did they follow?_

"Miss!" I heard a reedy, high-pitched voice call out. "You're alive!"

I turned from Jin's body to face my father's only retainer, looking out of breath from his struggle to get away. "I heard you scream. How did you-"

"A friend," I interrupted. "A friend of mine was trapped in that explosion at the church. His name's Mugen. Can...can you find him for me? Bring him back?"

"Of course." He turned to leave.

"And-" Great, I knew my voice was cracking. "And…we need to have a burial."

Luckily, he left before I started to tear up again.

"I'm sorry, Jin," I whispered.

Slowly, slowly, slowly, I reached towards his face.

With two shaking fingers, I closed his eyes.

_I'm sorry._

The next few days passed by in a blur. My father's retainer-Ichiro-brought Mugen to the house to recover, and he had been completely unconscious. I was so busy, tending to him, burying my father…and saying goodbye.

I burst into tears again as we washed his body. I excused myself for most of it, of course, but just seeing him so lifeless and cold—something just pulled in me, and I couldn't hold it in. And of course, I could just hear him telling me to calm down, that it wasn't worth getting worked up over. Brought on a fresh round.

Ichiro asked me if there was anything that I wanted to set aside, as a memento. We decided not to bury his swords with him, the same as with my father. I was about to say nothing when my eyes caught the tiniest flash of green. Ichiro must have seen it, too, because the next thing I knew, he was pressing Jin's prayer beads into my hand.

I kept them with me as we prayed over his grave, twisting and rubbing the glass between my fingers. The gesture seemed so familiar, and I remembered being with him at another death.

Where he performed the same action, in what I thought was a desperate attempt for comfort. He had seemed to be so close to that boy, and now…now I was saying the same prayers for him. This time, they hit a little closer to home.

When Ichiro finally left me—to check on Mugen, he said, even though I knew it was to give me some time alone—I sank down to my knees. I didn't say anything at first, just looked at the marker, the mound, and the three small sunflowers placed near his grave. We didn't have any holders for them, or for water and incense, but he needed something proper. We didn't have the means to burn his body, and I just hoped that he understood that we couldn't give him a proper funeral.

"Hope that you're not mad," I murmured. "That you're okay."

I sat back on my heels, straightening up.

"I wish you could just tell me why, Jin. Why did you sacrifice yourself?"

I could just imagine him lecturing me. _Because the way of the samurai is found in death._

"I knew you were prepared for it, I just—"

"I just wish you were still here with us. I don't know if Mugen is going to make it yet, he's still out cold. I want to know that everything's fine. That we were all back together again, even though I know that you two would be fighting and I'd be telling both of you to stop, and it would just be like it was before."

_When I wasn't alone._

"I took your beads," I said shyly, holding them up. "Hope that you don't mind."

I'm sentimental like that. I needed something to hold, something of his memory that I could keep with me. I pulled out my tanto and carefully attached the bracelet to the rest of the dangle.

"I don't know where I'm going to go next, or what I'm supposed to do. So I'm hoping…I don't know."

_I'm hoping that you can guide me._ It wasn't something I could say out loud, but I knew he heard me.

I heard a slight cough, and turned around. Ichiro was standing behind me, apologetic but with a broad grin on his face.

"He's waking up!"

"I'll be there in a few minutes," I told him as I turned back around. He quickly left again.

"Looks like I have to go," I whispered. "But I'll come back to visit, as soon as I can. I promise."

I stood up with a slight groan, my knees popping back into place. I tried to manage a tiny smile for him.

"I miss you. Try not to be lonely without us?"

I turned and slowly walked down the hill, the beads on my tanto brushing against my fist.

_Slowly. Take small steps, wait it out as long as you can._

My mouth went dry as I tried to figure out how to break the news.


	3. Mugen

I first noticed the sunlight streaming in from a small window, the light was directly in my eyes, how could I not see it? I tried moving my head out of the path of the light to get a better look around. I couldn't focus well on anything, it looked like the room was spinning.

Room? Where the hell am I?

"Where the hell am I?" I screamed out. I strained to sit up; the sharp pain in my stomach stopped me from getting very far.

"FUCK!"

I laid back on the ground with a louder curse—a wound in my side swelled with pain, even more than the one in my gut. Just my luck, I couldn't get up, and I could barely lie down. But my screaming must have caught someone's attention. I heard footsteps traveling outside, growing near me, and then fading off. Instinctively, I lifted my hand to my neck and then I noticed it.

"Where the hell is my sword? You damn thieves!"

My growing rage almost gave me the strength to rise. I began to push off the cloth sheet that had been draped over me when I noticed something else.

"Where the hell are my clothes? I'm going to kill whoever's out there!"

Some more footsteps approached and a door on one side of the room slid open. A small figure stepped through the doorway. That figures; I'm laid out on my back and she's carrying on just fine. Just my luck.

"Mugen! You're awake!" Fuu seemed excited seeing me up, so to speak.

"Yeah, what of it?" I'm awake, I want to get up. Where's my sword? My clothes?"

"We took them off of you to bandage your wounds,' Fuu replied.

"WE? What does THAT mean? Who else is here?" I started looking around the room for my sword. That bastard and I had unfinished business.

"Calm down. It's just Ichiro, my father's retainer. He went and told me that you were waking up. He helped me bring you here."

"Your father's retainer? So you found your old man, huh? I guess you got what you were looking for."

"Yeah…" her voice trailed off a bit. "I guess I did."

"So when do I get to meet this Samurai who smells of Sunflowers? I want to know who I went through all this trouble for."

Fuu just stared at me. She was being quiet for once. Too bad I wanted to hear her talk.

"Well where is the guy? Do I get to meet him or not?"

"He's dead." She said as she knelt on the ground.

"Great. We risk our butts to find this guy and now he's dead."

Fuu just sat there. She never just sits there. She was starting to piss me off.

"What's the matter with you? Aren't you going to call me a stupid jerk? Why aren't you saying anything?" I screamed a little too loudly. My back and my side reminded me that I had been injured—those guys, the church, the explosion.

Fuu was looking down now, her eyes fixed on her hands. She was holding something, but I couldn't see it.

"HEY! I'm talking to you! What are you looking at?"

"N-nothing." She said as she placed her hands in her lap. She had been looking at her tanto and it was sticking out of her kimono sleeve now. I noticed a familiar green strand hanging from the end of it.

"Where'd you get that? Where's four-eyes?"

"I took it. I wanted something… to keep." She struggled to spit out the last words. I feared the worst.

"That bastard! He left? We still have a score to settle! When did he go?"

"He didn't leave. You weren't there, Mugen." Her pace started picking up. Typical Fuu. "That man, he killed my father, and he was going to kill me and Ichiro, too. He had me cornered, but Jin came and saved my life. You didn't see them fight." Fuu's face was tightening, tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.

"I fought him too, y'know? But I'm still here. You don't see me crying over it." I was fishing for a response here, but she kept on going.

"They kept swinging at each other, diving around each other. I was afraid. Scared. I didn't think they were going to stop. And then, they did."

"Quit beating around the bush!" I butted in. "What are you trying to say?"

"Jin. Jin's dead. He died saving me." Fuu started sobbing as she spoke.

"That's bullshit!" Jin couldn't be dead. That guy's almost as tough as I am. Almost.

"I took the beads before we buried him. I wanted something to remember him by. I hung it here next to the skull that brought me here, to my father."

"I don't believe you. I want to see a body."

Fuu stood up, went to a corner of the room and returned with a cloth bundle she set down in front of me. "I placed your swords together for safekeeping. We found your sword near your body on the beach." She took my sword out of the cloth wrap. "And I kept Jin's as part of tradition. They say the soul of the Samurai is linked to his sword. In a way, these are part of Jin." She brought out the daisho. Blue.

I forced myself to sit up. I leaned against a wall to keep from falling back to the ground and reached out to grab Jin's swords. "I'll take these…"

Fuu snatched them back to her body. "Why do you get them? You didn't care about Jin. You wanted to kill him!"

"Well what are you going to do with the swords? They're weapons. Ya don't get all mushy over 'em. Why didn't they stay in the damn ground?"

"I just wanted to make sure that they went to someone who cared!" She was shaking as she yelled.

I held out my hand. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of them."

She waited a few seconds before handing them over. I had to pull them from her hands. Fuu started walking back toward the door she came in. "You must be thirsty, let me get you some water."

"I'm hungry too."

She stopped in the doorway for a second, and then continued on outside. Jin's swords felt heavy in my hands.

"Bastard."

I drew the katana a few inches from its saya; the temper design shone in the light coming from the window.

"Nice sword."

We had been on the island for a week with nothing but vegetables and rice to eat. Fuu didn't say much on the ferry back over to Nagasaki. Whatever. I had to get some real food in me or I was going to die.

I walked back through the city streets, to the stand where Jin and I bought the cakes with Fuu's money. I knew I couldn't afford anything there, but I remembered seeing a small pawn shop just across the street. It was a small building, but it was a chance.

I stepped through the beaded curtain hanging in the doorway. A voice called from behind a counter.

"Can I help you?" An old man asked, smiling.

"Yeah."


	4. Finale

It seemed fitting that their last day together was ending in a café. Unlike their first meeting, Mugen actually had money from his adventures in the pawn shop, and he decided to spend it all on his empty stomach. After all, he didn't know when the next time he'd eat again would roll around. He was still healing from his injuries, and really didn't feel like fighting for his supper at the moment.

So he was actually paying for his feast, complete with a couple of decanters of sake, which were reaching the bottom fairly quickly. It made him relaxed enough that he didn't even look up when a shadow passed over his table.

"Where did you get all this food?" Fuu asked in a quiet, almost strangled voice. It appeared she was still recovering from the loss of their trio, while Mugen displayed nothing but annoyance for her constant sniffling. Bawling her brains out wasn't going to bring him back, he knew. And in a way, she thought the same thing, even though it didn't stop her.

"Bought it," he mumbled, shoving another stick of dango into his mouth.

"We didn't have any money left. How did you…" her voice trailed off as she glanced at his chair. "Where are they?"

"Mmmf mpph?"

She groaned. "Swallow first."

"Where's what?"

"His swords," Fuu said, still searching for them in the darkened restaurant. Her eyes widened as she slowly put two and two together. "You…you –pawned- them?"

"Shut up, sit down, and eat," he growled. "You don't know when you're gonna eat again, do ya?"

"Why did you do it?" She was still protesting. "You were supposed to keep them, not pawn them just because you were hungry! I don't believe you sometimes. If you didn't want them, why didn't you just give them to me?"

As usual, Mugen was exasperated with Fuu's incessant nagging. He was actually trying to enjoy the meal, but that was ruined by her high-pitched squawks. "And what would you have done with them, huh? You don't fight. You would have done the same damn thing the second you started wanting food. So eat. Last thing he ever did for us."

She slowly sat down at the table, still quietly shaking with anger. "So…you're leaving today, huh? Where are you going?" It was a desperate attempt to keep the conversation civil, although she had half a mind to strangle Mugen where he sat.

He took another swig of the sake, straight from the decanter. "Dunno yet where I'm going. Maybe back to Ryukyuu."

"Oh. I…I'm not quite sure yet, either. I need to straighten out my father's affairs first before I make any decisions. So I'll probably be in Nagasaki for a while," she admitted. In all honesty, she was hoping to find the old couple she used to work for before she started on her journey, just to go back to some familiarity.

To anyone in the place who may had been listening, the conversation seemed strained on both sides as Mugen devoured the food and Fuu watched on, silent, too angry to eat. Still, they tried to maintain some degree of civility, both more focused on the ordeals ahead instead of their final conversation.

After what seemed like hours of agonizing idle chatter, Mugen let out a loud belch and stood up.

"Think I should get going. I want to hit the road before it gets dark." He gestured over to the half-filled table.

"You should eat something."

Fuu looked up as he turned towards the exit to say farewell. But before the words could form, her breath caught in her throat.

That wasn't his sword strapped onto his back. And unless she was seeing double…

"You pawned your own," she whispered. "To keep Jin's."

She couldn't tell if he had heard that or not, as he stepped out into the blinding sunlight, never looking back.

She picked up her chopsticks with a firmer hand.

He wasn't going to be forgotten.

_Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile_

_The precious moments are all lost in the tide_

_They're swept away, and nothing is what it seems…_

_The feeling of belonging to your dreams._

_I don't know where you're going, and I don't know why,_

_But listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye._


End file.
